See you on the otherside...

The day has arrived. Time to say goodbye. See you sometime, somewhere, someday...

Lots of love and great memories. Please keep intouch!

A good way to cheer up

My new friend!!, originally uploaded by Really Turning Japanese.

Thanks to everyone who gave me farewell money...

LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT!!!

Damn the tears!

So it is done. Goodbye to my original school. I love Yamato junior high!

There was a half hour ceremony just for me. I was holding it together quite well as it felt like my millionth goodbye. I knew some tears would squeeze out but when? It was right in the middle of the movie they made for me. Each club had made a farewell speech for me. Most of them were in English. Lots of We love you's... They set me off. A tear here, a tear there. Then I was asked to go up onto the stage. First the Principal spoke followed by one of the leaders of the school. The leader spoke in English (that also set me off). Then two of my favourite friendly girls brought me flowers and gifts. I also had to deliver a farewell speech. I did this in Japanese. That part was okay. The whole school then cheered for me and sang me the school song. Finally, I had the farewell music played just for me and I had to walk out of the gym all by myself. Then the tears fell - back in the staffroom. I am kind of okay now but sheesh... I am going to really miss this school!!!

Almost home time

David's view, originally uploaded by Really Turning Japanese.

Right, this has to be it for now. Got.. to... leave... the... computer...

Leaving Yamaguchi on the 25th and then flying out of Tokyo on the 1st. See everyone at home sometime after the 2nd. Get your hugs ready.

(oh, and Del, see you on the 26th - yippee)

Kat, pre umbrella kindness

Kat, pre umbrella kindness, originally uploaded by Really Turning Japanese.

See how much it is raining... Kat was actually so badly sunburnt in this photo that I think the rain was soothing.

Lost and found (or stolen and given)

I love long weekends and seemingly meaningless public holidays (today was Marine day - the ocean kind and not the American Military kind). Quite a lot of us had spent the weekend hanging out in Hagi. The weather for the most part was lovely and we have just enjoyed a great week of blue skies (hot though). Today it decided to rain!!!

I had decided to drive home through Tsuwano with Kat and Loz (another "one last time" moment). We were a happy, though tired, bunch during the drive over, but some of us began to wane as the rain began to fall (no names Loz)...

Our first stop was at a paper mill. Kat and I bought some lovely paper products and at this point, it began to rain really hard.

Next stop was the main shopping strip. Loz immediately bought an umbrella. She spent a whole 500 yen on it This is a lot for an umbrella. You can easily buy one for 100 yen. We continued shopping, me with my umbrella from home, Loz happily under her new pink umbrella and Kat with a towel over her head.

We stopped at a busy souvenir shop and left our umbrellas in the receptacle outside. We shopped and drank and chatted for about 40 minutes. The crowds shuffled in and out of the shop. Eventually we got up to go and brave the weather some more. At the door way, Loz let out a gasp of dismay... NO UMBRELLA. Someone had taken her brand new, baby pink, 500 yen umbrella. I think she almost began to cry but insted stormed back into the store. She returned a short while later, sporting a kiddy sized blue umbrella that had cost her a further 500 yen. She was fuming!!!

Off we went, me with my umbrella from home, Loz fuming under her new blue umbrella and Kat with a towel over her head.

Not long after, we were walking along the side of the main road when a car kind of swerved and pulled up right in front of me. I figured the driver was a foreigner who knew us or someone from our area. I bent down and stared at the stranger in the driver seat. She beckoned me over and rolled down the window. She cheerfully spoke to me and handed me an umbrella. She had noticed that Kat was umbrellaless and GAVE Kat her own. She drove off and left the three of us speechless. Suddenly, we erupted into laughter. Here was Loz on her second bought umbrella for the day and Kat gets given one by a stranger. It was really funny. You just never know what will happen in this place... I love it.

Look what I did...

Made this from a drawing I received today. Cool hey? Not sure what I will do with it yet. Business cards? Wish she/I was holding/using a camera!

S.U.M.M.E.R.

Ever wanted to know what summer is like in Australia (at least where I am from)? I think today is as close as you will get in Japan. Today in Hikari it is HOT! I really feel that the humidity leavel is much lower than usual and that means... BLUE SKIES! Of course everyone is stil boiling but it is quite different to a normal humid Japanese day. Oh how I love blue skies...

Now for some packing...

(note : it gets quite a bit hotter than this where I am from too!)

じしん EARTHQUAKE

I thought that I must be going out of my mind. Two nights ago, I was awoken by a small earthquake. I asked around yesterday and was greeted with shocked amazement. We all decided that I had dreamt an earthquake for the second time.
You will then understand that I was pleased to be informed today that I am in fact not out of my mind. There WAS an earthquake. Tiny, little level 1. I must be stressed and sleeping lightly to have felt it at 3am and woken up. Oh well, I feel a bit better knowing that it really happened!

You'd be surprised to find Marmite in Mongolia...

Mum and Dad are traveling through China, Mongolia and Russia on their 'once in a lifetime' trip. My sister, Anna, was surprised to hear that Dad had discovered Marmite all over Mongolia. Read about it here. I am sure you will get a laugh as we did... Love you Dad!

Why?

Why am I inside on a day like this? Blue skies and white fluffly clouds. It isn't too humid. Ahhhhh. The reason I am inside is to clean and pack. I cancelled an outing today to pack. I just have to do it. It has to be done. I have so many things on, in the coming 2.5 weeks that I can't afford to stop. Why am I even blogging? Okay... got to get back to it and just stare at the rare blue sky out my window!

Victoria got me into action...

Here is my last English board. I hope a few students write to me. I have several in mind that I am pretty sure will...

Blah...

Does anyone else spend a good amount of time feeling sick these days? I know it is the weather but that doesn't make me feel any better. Sometimes it is a head ache and sometimes my stomach. It is not just me being a wimp, the students are dropping like flies.

I NEED AIR CON... (Sound like Nikki?)

Tokyo fun and madness...

Well, here she is... Del! In only 21 sleeps, we will be meeting in the heart of Tokyo. Bless her. I flippantly mentioned that she should come to see me in Tokyo and leave her family behind and she jumped at the chance. lol

We will be tourists for my final 6 days in Japan. I really can't wait. Harajuku and it's crazy fashion parade. Kamakura and it's famed big buddha. Nikko and it's amazing temples. Oh, and heaps of other places.

So pack your bags Del... See you soon.

Japan is red, red, red

Japan is red, originally uploaded by Really Turning Japanese.

Here is a tiny selection of my 'red' pictures, made with Flickr toys.

I wonder what colour I would say Australia is?

A little photo and annotation update

Recently, I have uploaded several photos to blogger whilst in a hurry. I have decided that they need text to give you guys a deeper understanding of why I chose them. So here you have the updated versions to read. Enjoy.

Now I am off to upload my 'red' creation from flickr...

Kujira - WHALE

Kujira - WHALE, originally uploaded by Really Turning Japanese.

Lauren and I ventured off to the deep, dark area of southern and western Yamaguchi last week. We live in the eastern corner so there were areas that to that point unexplored by us. Shimonoseki is the last town before you cross a bridge to the island of Kyushu. It is mostly famous for ふぐ　or globe fish. You know the one... It is deadly. The Japanese know how to fillet it and do so removing the poisonous parts.

Lauren and I visitied Karato fish market hoping for a buzz of activity and lots of fresh, flapping fish. We arrived at about 8am to discover that Thursday isn't the best day to see fresh, flapping fish. There was a bit of activity but it was mostly quite sleepy. That didn't stop us from eating lots of fugu (globe fish) and photographing plenty of くじら　（whale). We also ventured to the kaiten sushi restaurant, above the market, for the famed salmon cheese sushi. Try to imagine a slice of fresh salmon and a hunk of cheese lightly grilled with a blow torch - delicious!

If anyone is down Shimonoseki way, I recommend a visit to Karato. It was a lovely port area full of delicious treats. Now, I am even more excited to visit Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Del, lets do it. You will be okay, I promise. The fish at Karato was so fresh there really was no smell at all. Imagine the photo opportunities!

すし ~ Sushi

Whilst up in the northern regions, we satyed with Tom. What a host! He had warned us about, and welcomed us to, a small party he was throwing at his house on the Friday. His BOE were coming along. Lauren and I were not sure what to think but of course accepted. We had the most wonderful time. What a lovely bunch of people and I fell inlove with 5 year old Sachi. Sachi didn't stop using her mum's SLR and giggling with delight over the photos on my small digital. She is definately going to be a photographer in the future. What a girl!

The food was interesting and delicious. It was a mixture of east meets west. Japan meets the western version of a BBQ. The Japanese guests bought sushi and beer and Tom (with our help) provided the rest; meat, potatoes and bread. Yum!

PS... Thanks to Tom for putting us up. See you some time in the UK or Melbourne.